We're All on an Hourglass
by Charles The Cheesecake
Summary: Steven's age is based on his emotions, so he can be ageless as long as he feels young. But Connie is human, and her time is limited. They've always known this, and they had to talk about it sometime. Death is what will end their love early and pull them apart. They just have to accept it and enjoy the time they have. That is, if there isn't a way around it.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, I'm back. Sorry, I've had a really long vacation and didn't do any writing in that time. In that time I did keep up with collaboration, though. So now, I'm writing this little story to get back into the writing 'groove.'

After this, I'll pick up right where I left off with my Stevidot and my others.

Also, my fraken Ipad broke. Like, it just won't load correctly and I can't write on it.

For this story, I wouldn't mind for a title change. Any suggestions?

Sorry for going without warning, but I hope you guys enjoy.

 **We're All on an Hourglass**

Steven and Connie were having a simple sleep-over, one of the many they've had to together. It was over at Steven's place.

This would be the first of two in a row they would have, the second being at Connie's house. They could in spite of school because was over the weekend.

Connie sat on top of her zipped-up, dark-green sleeping bag, cross-legged. She was busy talking to Steven, who lay on the side of the bed, staring at her with his head propped up on his hand.

There was adequate lighting in the room, courtesy of the lamp that sat on Steven's dresser. It shone with an orange-ish glow and illuminated the both of them, at least the side of them that faced the other.

"Well, if you really wanna know," Connie began, acknowledging Steven's previous question. "My day at school yesterday consisted of me walking around and going to class." She put a finger up while faking enthusiasm. "And don't forget listening to a random guy talk for an hour. Man, you have _no_ idea how fun that is."

Steven chuckled at her sarcastic description, obviously showing her boredom of school.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad," he said d. He had always wanted to go to school and was jealous of Connie for not only being able to go, but for how well she did in it.

But he'd rather continue with being home schooled by Pearl.

"Yeah, you're right," Connie agreed, "But I wouldn't really go if I didn't have to." Her glance went up to the ceiling as she was in thought. "I mean, I'm going to waste at least 12 years of my life going to school, when I'm just going to spend the rest of it not needing the stuff I'm gonna learn from it."

She looked back at Steven, who had been staring at her, listening intently. Then she continued on. "I know I used to want to be a pharmacist or a doctor, like my mom. And I really don't want to disappoint my parents." Her tone dropped. "What am I gonna do when I tell them I want to throw that all away to be with you and protect the Earth."

Connie dropped herself down onto the sleeping bag with her hands spread out. She closed her eyes and thought about her future in silence.

Steven hated when she got all sad like now. How did a simple conversation turn to this?

He reached his small hand down to grab hers. The action almost caused him to fall of the bed, but he regained his balance.

Connie opened her eyes at the feeling of touch on her hand. Gazing back up to Steven, she met his eyes. They gleamed at night, or as she always thought.

"I wouldn't mind that," he said sincerely. His words, although few, were uplifting to Connie, making her forget about the possible disappointment of her parents. Feeling a warmth tingling through her, Connie smiled back at his words.

The warming sensation felt like happiness had just been put into her and flowed through her veins, gradually reaching every part of your body. And it would happen when she heard something that brought her up when she was feeling down.

Connie loved how he made everyone around him instantly feel better. "Me neither." She put her second hand onto Steven's hand. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you," she mindlessly put out. Paying attention to his caring words and smile had distracted her. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't have said that.

But she did, and she had only realized what she had said after Steven's mouth dropped slightly in shock. But he quickly turned it into a smile.

Connie opened her mouth to say something to take her words back, trying to defuse the situation. Yet, no words came out. She couldn't take back something she had sincerely meant.

And Steven didn't want her to,he was happy to hear those words from her. He took a moment and tried to imagine what it would be like, to spend his life with her. He couldn't quite picture any event. All he knew was that it'd be great, as long as she was there.

"That's gonna be a long time," Steven said as he tried to make conversation. "It's gonna get boring after a while, huh?"

The room turned a little brighter, and not because of the light the lamp gave off.

"No day is boring with you," Connie replied back softly. "And, I think it being a long time is a good thing."

She enjoyed having talks like this with Steven, one's that furthered their relationship. They were their milestones.

Every event that allowed them to grow closer was the result of a meaningful talk.

The time they were trapped under the ocean and Steven became her friend, after hearing she had none.

The time she admitted she couldn't dance, leading for them to discover their very own fusion together.

The time she helped him through the trauma of being taken prisoner where he promised to always share his secrets, no matter how deep, with her.

The time Connie talked to him about wanting to learn to use a sword, which also led to the conversation the had during the battle where they agreed to fight with the other and not _for_ the other.

The time they had that awkward, but necessary, talk about them wanting to keep to a intimate, but non-sexual relationship.

The time where she agreed to give Steven space for him to explore his feeling for another, who was now a close friend to her and Steven alike in spite of the awkwardness it would sometimes bring when the three of us are together.

She loved every one of those times no matter how bad, for it made the both of them stronger and closer in the end. And now, she was obligated to spend the rest of her life with him.

 _Life._

The word brought a more disturbing thought to her mind. And it showed clearly on her face, but her distraught look when unnoticed be Steven.

The thought was something that was always on the back of her mind, every day since Steven told her about how his age was only affected by the way he felt and that he could live forever. Or at least until he felt old or was killed by something else.

No matter how long she was to live, Steven would most likely live past that. And it would brought consequences she hated.

"Steven," Connie said, getting the boy's attention even though it was already on her.

"Yeah, Connie," he happily replied back. He still bore a smile, not suspecting the sadness in her thoughts.

But, even as sad as it is, Connie knew that they would need to talk about it sometime. She guessed sometime should be now.

She took a deep breath, then started. "You know..." She paused.

Maybe they didn't need to talk about it now. Maybe she could bring this up tomorrow, when the two of them weren't tired and having a moment together. But it's started, might as well finish.

"You and I are gonna spend a long time together."

"And I'll love every moment," Steven responded. His words hurt Connie, for how much love he had in them.

But she carried on. "Yes, me too." One last deep breath. "But it can't last forever."

Steven went silent, realizing where this was going. He hoped that it wasn't what he thought, but the thought of death was always on the back of his mind as well. Not his own death, but Connie's.

"I know..." he said, smile fading. "I know," he repeated. All his happiness that filled his tone before was gone. Replaced by the heart-breaking sadness of truth.

Connie continued on, she wanted to speak her mind no matter how much it would hurt the both of them. "I love you, Steven. And I am true to my word when I say I want to spend the rest of the time I have with you. To spend the rest of my life with you." She tightens her grip on his hand. "But I can't spend the rest of _your_ life with you."

Steven understood exactly what she was saying. And he let her go on with her thoughts as he couldn't find his own response yet.

"I know that we know that I'm human. I know that we've both known that our love will be cut short." Connie closed her eyes, trying to relax the tears that started to fill her vision.

She let her thought wander wherever they may.

"My dad has always said that we, as in humanity as a whole," Steven cringed as this passively implied that he wasn't human and thus not normal, but he knew that it wasn't meant in such a way, "We are limited by an hourglass. The sands in the hourglass, although seemingly many, will always seem short in the end.

"And those sands will be constantly flowing as long as I am alive, and won't ever stop until the very end."

As if shameful, Connie faced away from Steven. Her nexts words was something she had to let out. "When I die," she began, sending a warnful pang to Steven's chest, "You will go on with your destiny, living for-I don't know-another ten thousand years or something." She waved hand through the air in exaggeration of the 'I don't know.'

Connie takes another breath. "I'm scared, constantly, about my worth. It's why I started sword training, it's why I'm always trying to be better for you. I'm worried that, in the end, you'll be left with nothing but a broken heart and the sad memory of losing a person you once loved."

She let her words resonate through the silence that followed.

Steven had taken the words in the exact way they were intended to be. She wasn't trying to say anything along the lines of him having a weak heart. It was true, he'd could very well fall under a deep depression at the lost of her. It was simple truth.

From what the Gems told him, Greg (and the rest of them for that matter) fell into one at the loss of his mother. But his father, who seemed like a cheerful person that has always been like that, was said to have changed dramatically. At least compared to how Garnet described him while Rose was still here.

Another thing Steven realized about what he just heard was that Connie wasn't sad about her death. Heck, she's willing to die any day.

It was about how her death would affect him. That his turmoil due to it was more important than her own loss.

When Connie looked up to Steven, she saw the gloomy look that had fallen upon him. She instantly felt bad for causing it.

"Steven, I-I'm sorry for bringing that up," she stuttered.

"No, no. Don't be," he said quickly, and sternly. Steven had heard many terrible truths from his loved ones. And he didn't want an apology for bringing up another.

He continued on the subject. "I guess we've just never wanted to talk about it. But, as we are..."

Before he went on, he rolled himself off his bedside and dropped down next to Connie. He then adjusted himself comfortably to a position where they both were face-to-face.

It would usually be a little too close for comfort, but neither cared at the moment.

Steven continued, staring into Connie's gleaming eyes. "I want you to know that I've thought of this before. About humans and death and all that stuff. And I want you to know that any day, every day, I spend with you I'll savor." He paused for a second, then felt as there was something else he needed to say.

"You'll never be a memory. You'll always be important to me. And part of you will always be with me. Either in the thoughts I will have in remembering the times we've spent together, or in whatever amazing legacy that you will leave." He ended offering a weak smile.

Connie couldn't respond right away. The girl was too busy with the tears in her eyes and the emotions that ran through her. Her eyes shut themselves. She took in heavy breaths through her nose and sighed loudly when breathing out through her mouth. But it was futile in the attempt to stop tears.

As Steven watched, a drop appeared on the side of her eye and trickled down the side of her face. He wasn't faring better with his emotions, but he didn't yet feel the urge to cry.

This was certainly a hard subject for the two of them to talk about.

Eventually, Steven got up to his knees to turn off his light. He pulled the chain on his lamp until he heard it click.

They weren't going to need to see anything. And the lines of moonlight that filtered its way through the window provided enough light so the two could still see the other.

Noticing his actions, Connie half-heartedly got up . In silence, she opened up the already unzipped the sleeping bag and pulled it apart.

As they both lay back down on the warm padding, Connie kept the bag open for they didn't need the warmth at the moment.

They both sat in silence for a while, recouping back their emotions.

Connie was the first to manage to speak. "Thank you," were her simple words. They were a little overdue, but still carried as much meaning.

"I meant every word," Steven replied, voice a little crackly. His throat was a little dry, making him swallow before he could say anything else. But he didn't need to for the time being.

"You know, Steven," Connie mindlessly says, looking at the ceiling and letting her words spill out, "Sometimes...I wish we weren't in love."

In realization of what she had just said, she quickly tried to recover. "WaitThatsNotWhatIMeant!" she exclaims loudly, turning over to Steven with eyes wide open.

But Steven, although not completely understanding what she meant by her words, knew that it didn't mean in such a way. He put a hand to Connie's lower arm to calm her down.

"It's okay," he said, "You can explain yourself."

Mentally wiping her panic away, Connie calmed down to resume her thoughts. After a sigh of relief, she explained herself. "What I _meant_ to say was, that sometimes...I don't know if our love is...for the better." She looked down, or in this instance, to the side. "I sometimes think that you may be better off not knowing me. Maybe I'd be more bad than good. Maybe I'd-"

Steven suddenly grabbed her and pulled her in, stopping Connie in her thoughts and giving her a slight shock. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, not letting say another word of 'maybes.' He didn't want to hear those possibilities.

"I'd like to be with you for better or for worse," Steven said, voicing his thoughts.

To exaggerate his point, he went on to tell his own 'maybes.'

Still in an embrace, both heads over the other's shoulder, he spoke. "There are times I wish I knew what it was like to be human. Maybe it'd be better." He tried to keep to Connie's word choice to emphasize the message he tried to get across. "I'd sometimes wonder if I'd like it more to be human, to go to school, get a job, live a life, than be a gem. Of course I'd choose to be a gem, but... I just think like that sometimes."

He breaks their embrace for a second. While hold Connie's face in his hands, cringed up from her crying, he smiles at her. And, after giving a few seconds of silence to let his words sink in, he says, "I love you."

They are words that the both of them have repeated to each other countless times. But each time they said it, including now, carried as much meaning as if it was the first time. Connie muscled out a wryly smile at him.

She wanted to say 'I love you, too.' But she substituted with pulling him into a kiss instead.

Steven, although surprised at first, closed his eyes and pushed back.

Their kiss lasted for a while, with the neither wanting to pull away. For a good half minute, the sat still, feeling the warmth of the other on their lips.

But they had to pull away eventually. And when they did, all the tension between them from their past conversation had left. It was replaced by the joy of simply being with the other.

After calming down, lying back down with smiles on their face, they faced the ceiling as they held each other's hand. Steven's fingers were interlaced with Connie's.

Connie had also pulled the other half of the sleeping over them, providing them a blanket when they were to doze off to sleep.

But neither was tired right now and Steven wanted to continue the conversation. Especially with a no gloomy atmosphere hanging above them.

He wiped his dry tears from his face and grabbed Connie's attention. "Hey, Connie."

"Yes?" she replied. Her eyes were closed but simply because she was relaxing, not sleepy as Steven thought she was.

"Oh, sorry," he said passively, thinking that the conversation would be better continued in the morning while the were well rested. Even though they both had no intentions of sleeping right now.

"No no, go ahead," Connie said. She opened her eyes to show that she wanted him to go on.

"Well, okay." Steven paused for a second, question hanging on the edge of his tongue. He didn't really think he should ask it, but so many hard feelings had been shared already tonight. Why not one more?

Scratching his hand nervously, he started. "Ummmm, Connie. Would you mind if I, uhhhhh..." Finishing that question was going to be hard.

Connie looked over at him, giving an glare that urged him to say whatever he wanted to say. She wanted to hear it, no matter what it was.

With multiple doubts and second-thoughts, Steven forced out with his eyes closed, "Would you be okay if I fell in love again?...If I ever do."

His eyes stayed shut long after. He was scared of what he was going to see. Although even he knew that there was nothing for him to be afraid of.

Connie thought about the question. Her answer was a confirmed yes as soon as she heard it.

Of course she'd be okay with it. Steven deserved to love again, even if it's not with her. All that mattered was that he found happiness.

Still, she stayed silent for a few moments, thinking about it. The question had sparked a few thoughts.

 _I wonder who Steven would choose next._

But that was irrelevant.

 _Am I really that disposable?_

No, Steven's just planning for the future. He may not even find love again, but this is just in case he does. And she was grateful that Steven would even ask for her blessing. It showed his loyalty to her and she was touched.

Finally, after a seemingly forever, Steven got his answer. "Yes," Connie said, "Definitely."

Steven opened up his eyes with some surprise. "Really?" he exclaimed, as if he expected the opposite. "Are you sure?" Connie gave a nod in response.

"As long as she not better looking than me," she joked, offering a cheeky smile.

Abandoning the emotions of anxiety from before, Steven joined in and gave a small chuckle. "Can't make any promises."

They both laughed now as they pushed aside their past emotions and cuddled together. Surrounded by the cloth padding that seemed to hold them together, they shared their warmth until they fell into sleep.

Just as Connie was about to fully doze off, she put out one last thought. "I wish I could be ageless like you." she whispered. Then adding, "With you."

Steven, to her surprise, had not fell asleep either and had heard her. "So do I," he replied softly.

Even though both of their mind's were hazy from being on the verge of sleep, they were fully aware of their words. Then they fell asleep in each other's arms.

They also added to the list of conversations that made them closer.

###

 **Okay, that was amazing to write. There will be a second part to this, too. Not gonna say anything about it now, but it's going to be out in about a week, if everything goes well.**

 **The next thing I'm going to put out is the long-awaited chapter to my Stevidot.**

 **To advertise a little, I wrote a song under the title "Defectivity and Love." It's mainly a song in the POV of Pearl after having her conversation on that floating rock above the soon-to-be battlefield. This is just in case you haven't seen it.**

 **Lastly, I have a poll up on my page, in case you also didn't know. It's asking about your favorite ship. Whatever is most voted will decide my next story!**

 **And that's all for right now, cya guys. Stay a Connversal.**


	2. Chapter 2

**This is doing really good and you guys like it.**

 **In the news, I finally got a smartphone again, still hate that one person who stole my IPhone. But I don't know who he was because I just left it on my PE bench, so that is damage I need to hold.**

 **Also, thanks for sticking with me through the large gap, to all my fans. I appreciate every one of you. Well, 'cept Tavian the Goat. (Just kidding, me and him are really cool and have, like, the longest Private Message chat in history. Literally, hundreds of messages between the two of us.)**

 **Some of you guys wondered if this is going for that 'perma-fusion' thing. And, no, this ain't. I actually wasn't even thinking of that until it was brought up, and I have to put that into this story.**

 **Like, COME ON! Around five people asked if this was a perma-fusion story! (Not mad tone, just joyfully agitated)**

 **It was like a curveball, I had to really think on how it's going to work if I add it. And there's no way I can't because it's just such a viable idea.** **But I think I did this right. Although, since I didn't plan for this, this whole chapter is kinda forced and focuses mainly on the perma-fusion idea. It's mostly an add-on.**

 **Also, third-person writing is not my domain. I usually enjoy first person better as it allows me to dive deeper into one's own emotions. But, I'm doin' it.**

 **Lastly, if you're wondering, this story will go into the direction of death and things, good and bad, that come as a result. These two chapters are setting a lot of things up. Connie and Steven are on an hourglass, but so is everyone else. And we can't simply ignore those.**

 **Without anything else, enjoy.**

Chapter 2

Steven woke up without opening his eyes. He wanted to stay in bed for another hour or so. So he just relaxed and laid as if he were still asleep.

Eventually, his mind started to get up as well. Thoughts started to creep back into his head and he grew anxious. He involuntarily rolled over from curled up to the side to laying flat on his back, then felt something was off.

This wasn't his bed. It didn't keep that squishy, smooth feeling that sunk a little where he laid. His blanket wasn't the silk-like, slightly cold texture that he was used to feeling. Whatever it was, it feel like wool and was very warm from his body heat, which it absorbed.

The cloth surrounded him, above him as well as below.

Steven opened his eyes slowly, taking in the dim light that was just coming in through the window. It wasn't much since the sun rose on the side of the house opposite of said window.

Also, there weren't any ways whatsoever that light could get in directly from that direction, which was great in the mornings.

Everything seemed to have a slight pink glow to it, due to the lighting.

Steven stared at the ceiling mindlessly and with his yes barely open, still trying to gather his thoughts together fully. After he did, his curiosity went to why he wasn't on his bed, which he could see from the edge his vision was just to his left.

Then, his gaze went to what he was wrapped by. And he saw that familiar, dark-green leather of the sleeping bag that he had seen Connie bring over for a sleepover.

A sleepover.

The boy suddenly noticed the extra warmth that enveloped his right arm, which lay away from the rest of his body. He turned his head over to come face-to-face with Connie.

Steven jerked back for how close he noticed she was. Her head lay about an inch or two from him. Their breaths actually mixed for how close they were.

Connie had her eyes closed, sleeping peacefully. Her breathing was calm and relaxed. She had wrapped herself around Steven's arm.

Memories of last night trickled back into Steven's mind.

Connie came over for a night together. She carried in the huge blue duffle bag that her mother must've lent her.

Also, she wore a red tee shirt, skinny jeans, and those orange boots she always wore.

After catching up with the other, Steven went to the bathroom to put on his pajamas and brush his teeth. When he came out, Connie had put on her own night clothes, which was a light-blue nightgown, and picked out a movie from his shelf for the two to watch.

Then, while they paid minimal attention to the film, they talked and the both agreed to have another at Connie's tomorrow, which was today.

After the movie ended, Connie pulled the sleeping bag out, which was tightly packed in her duffel bag along with her sword. She rolled it out and sat on top of it, then continued with whatever they were saying.

Then, Steven remembered their conversation. And hints of the feelings of sadness he felt that night ran through him. He replayed most of it in his mind.

He could remember their hug vividly and could still feel her in his arms.

How his nose began to tingle from the tears that was about to reach his eyes. Connie's sniffling behind his right shoulder. His hands wrapped around her back almost far enough to reach the other side, his head clamping down on Connie's shoulder to hold her closer.

Random, but memorable, pieces of the conversation also found their way to his thoughts.

 _'But it can't last forever.'_ _It doesn't need to._

 _'We are limited by an hourglass.' I_ _wish the truth didn't hurt more than a lie._

 _'...left with nothing but a broken heart and the sad memory of losing a person you once loved.' It'll be the one thing I wouldn't mind having my heart broken by. And I'll hold onto the memory like it was life._

 _'I'm scared, constantly, about my worth.' I'm scared constantly about MY worth. A half-gem that almost got you killed countless times. And I have nothing to give you for risking your life besides my heart. Somehow, to you, that's more than enough._

 _'You'll never be a memory.' If you still affect my life and how I live, even when you're not here anymore, than you are much more than just a memory._

 _'...ageless like you...with you.'_

Every word, each syllable, Steven could remember it as if he just heard it. He could remember the way Connie's tone dropped, the hoarseness in her voice when she talked while fighting to keep down tears. The way Steven whispered words softly, but held enough meaning to be loud.

Steven, with all this flowing through him, kept his eyes glued to Connie's eyelids, as if looking her in the eyes through them. He pushed his thoughts to the back of his head, letting him come back into reality.

Then, he just laid until something happened.

About ten minutes later, his body began to tense up. So Steven unglued himself from his stare to stretch.

He had to move his right arm out slowly not to wake Connie, although her grip on it was fairly firm. But inch-by-inch, he freed it, got out of the sleeping bag, and stretched his arms and legs on the hardwood floor.

An involuntary yawn escaped him.

Noticing the noise he was making, Steven quickly shut his mouth and glared at Connie, hoping her didn't accidentally wake her up. She was unaffected and continued to lay peacefully.

Steven gave a small sigh of relief and calmly tilted himself back until he lay flat on the floor. His hand folded themselves over his chest. He returned back to his silence.

During his motionlessness, he had been wondering something. It was sparked by Connie's last words.

There was indeed a way, or at least Steven thought, for the two of them to be together. They could fuse.

But would it work?

When they formed Stevonnie for the first and, technically, last time, Stevonnie never used her powers. Or, at least, she never tried. (Steven refers to Stevonnie as someone besides himself as she wasn't, really, him. He'll use pronouns like 'she' and 'her.' Like how Ruby can't describe Garnet as herself.)

Stevonnie just made the most of her time while she was in control. Having fun.

She wasn't in control when Connie and Steven's minds drifted and they seemingly controlled either half of her, like they had joysticks and were using them to control her arms and legs.

But when Stevonnie came out, or when the two of their minds combined, she hadn't thought about trying to summon a shield, or shape shift, or anything.

Maybe she can't, maybe being three-fourths human makes her only have human attributes.

But, maybe she can do gem things. Stevonnie can be the key to Connie' defying her humanity. To reverse her hourglass.

Steven, deep in thought, didn't realize the time that flew.

It was a half an hour later that he heard a shuffle next to him.

Sunlight, which had been growing stronger and bled through his window blinds, beamed onto Connie's shut eyelids, causing her involuntary senses to wake her up.

Steven rolled his head over to see Connie turn over, now facing the ceiling. Another moment passed, then she threw her arms up in the air to stretch them, turning her head to crack her neck.

Connie released the tension in her arms, letting them fall to the floor.

"Ahhhh," Connie sighed. She opened her eyes, slowly to take in the morning light.

She gave a small smile. It had always been a good feeling waking up by herself rather than by her mother's voice, calling her down for breakfast on a school day. This also made her happy as it gave the notation that it was a weekend.

But her smile faded she realized she wasn't staring at the familiar sight of her white ceiling. Instead, the ceiling had a slant and was made out of wood. She was at Steven's.

Connie was slightly confused.

She took a glance to her left to find Steven, staring at her.

It gave her a slight shock at first. Then, she remembered the events of last night, almost every minute of the last hour before she fell asleep.

Connie gave a slight smile at the sight of Steven. "Morning, Steven," she said softly.

Steven couldn't help but return a smile back. "Good morning, Connie. Sorry if I woke you up."

She gave a confused look. "Woke me up?"

"Nevermind."

Steven scooted on top of the sleeping bag, looking down at Connie.

"So," he said in a cute voice, "How'd you sleep?"

Connie chuckled in response. "Good enough," she replied.

###

Eventually, they both got up for the day. And, after a big breakfast of things ranging from waffles and syrup, scrambled eggs that Steven could make himself, and an assortment of fruit, they might have forgotten to eat dinner last night, they got ready for their training day with Pearl.

Connie put on her uniform, the one she was given and had held close to her ever since the day she got it. And Steven put on his usual day clothes. Though it looked uncomfortable to move in, previous years of training proved that his star shirt and jeans didn't restrict him one bit.

A little after finishing, Pearl walked in through the front door, an Amethyst gem in hand.

"Woah," worriedly exclaimed Steven after seeing the gem. "What happened?"

Connie came out of the restroom where she was changing. Her gear, with the red stripe at the waistline, had been put on and her hair in a knotty braid, almost like a rope. The first thing she noticed was the purple gem in Pearl's thin fingers.

Pearl brought up her hand to look at the gem. "Oh, it's nothing, Steven," she said reassuringly, offering a smile. "Me and Amethyst had a little race, just for fun..." Pearl's smile shrank. "On top of trees in the forest just out of town.

"Probably not the best of ideas but it was just for fun. Though, a bird dove through the leaves as Amethyst was jumping on top of the tree it was on and it startled her."

Pearl shut the door behind her and bit her lips.

The two pairs of eyes on her did not leave, waiting for her to finish.

Finally, Pearl said, "She fell through the foliage, catching a wasp nest on the way down."

There was a silence.

Pearl just stared at the physical-formless gem in her hand.

Connie wondered how wasps can poof a gem, but figured that enough bites (wasps bite, not sting) can put just about anything down. And her whip would be utterly useless against them. Not to mention that, although Ami could easily outrun them, she fell right on top of a wasp nest and they probably enveloped her like a blanket immediately.

Steven just wondered one thing. "When will she come back?" he asked meekly.

Pearl looked up and tried to move on. "In a few hours," she said, walking on her light feet to Steven on the couch. She set the gemstone down on the left cushion. "When I got to her position, she didn't look too good."

Pearl remembered her strolling over to Amethyst's general direction, suspecting nothing but Amethyst just taking a clumsy tumble. Gosh, how many times has _that_ happened. But she then heard her scream.

She bolted through the foliage of leaves and around trees, breaking branches and jumping rocks, until she finally found the gem. Ami was running around frantically, enveloped by a cloud of black and yellow. The sound of the wasps' buzzing was all that could be heard.

The situation was hard to take in, and Pearl had no idea what to do. She couldn't get rid of the creatures, and had never had too much problems with such a thing only found on Earth.

They were unrelenting, seeking a vengeance for their broken nests, split into pieces on the ground near the swarm.

Keeping calm, or at least as much as possible, Pearl charged at Amethyst, tackling her away from the swarm. As quickly as she could register that there were no wasps around them, she brought a clear bubble around them with a teal tint.

The wasps surrounded it and hopelessly bumped into the glass-like structure.

Pearl looked around to see the insects buzzing all around the bubble like a tornado of dust. She could still see through them, like how one can see through the spinning blades of a fan, but they were extremely many in number.

In safety, Pearl surveyed the damage. Amethyst was covered with bumps, everywhere, and groaned with pain.

"Ahhh, those fricken things hurt," Amethyst said in pain.

Pearl could do little as Ami laid there, head propped up on her knee. "Yeah, they did a lot to you. You need any healing ordinance?" Pearl offered. She kept a good amount of vials filled with Steven's saliva in her gem.

"Naw, P. I've got a better ahh-" Amethyst winced. "-I've got a better idea."

And with that, Amethyst poofed.

Despite everything, Pearl knew that this wasn't something to worry about in the slightest. Any damage just on the surface of their artificial skin would only hurt, but not something to worry about. Though, they still can hurt a lot.

And she knew that something much more dangerous was needed to crack a gem, so Amethyst was fine.

Still, Amethyst would need quite a bit of time to repair the damage and fix her appearance.

After Pearl took the gem into her hand, she simply rolled the bubble to a safe distance, dissipated it, then walked back to the beach house

"But, she'll be fine," Pearl said, acknowledging Steven once again. "Her form should have regenerated by the time we get back." Pearl turns around with unexpected enthusiasm. "Now, we have training to worry about."

And it would be in the rain. The three figured this out when they warped to the sky arena. Pearl had to take some time to grab two swords from her room, ones she held over her shoulders.

A dark overhang gave everything a gray tone and large puddles formed all over the uneven sky arena floor. And the trickling blanket of falling raindrops was endless from the time Pearl, Steven, and Connie got there to when they would leave.

This definitely was cold for the two kids. But it didn't matter. And today, Pearl had something special planned.

"Neither of you will be training for the next few months," she said to the two, huddled together under the overhang of the entrance to the arena.

Pearl stood under it as well, for she didn't like rain too much. But, for the most part, she never minded it.

Connie and Steven were confused by what she meant and let the gem explain. "Instead, Stevonnie will be the one in your places."

Confusion turned to glee as the two kids heard this.

They both gave each other a glance at first, then a huge grin as they realized what the other were thinking. Steven grabbed onto Connie's hand, taking her by surprise, and swinging her around in his arms. They closed their eyes and spun around, enveloped by the sound of the downpour. After the twirling stopped, he opened his eyes and acknowledged the girl in his embrace.

"This is gonna be great," he says enthusiastically.

Connie only giggled in response. Then she pulled him into a kiss.

Pearl stood onto the side, putting her weight on a sword she had pointed to the ground, smiling at seeing a young couple's excitement to being closer than they already are.

Then she noticed a glow coming from Steven's center. The pink light heavily contrasted the seemingly black-and-white that shrouded them.

Pearl's expression dropped as she saw both of the two kids turn into morphs of light, similar to what she had seen before in the fusion process of two gems. But it seemed weird.

It looked less of two entities merging and more of Connie's body being sucked into Steven's mass. Then their forms grew larger, gradually adding more detail and definition until, finally, the thin layer of light that encased them dissipated, leaving a tall, slightly muscular, fair-skinned figure in it's place. She had long, wavy hair and wore Connie's gear.

Stevonnie.

Her uniform was much larger than the original, having to be enlarged to fit the new body. It wore tight on her skin, like latex. It moved with her and with little restraint.

"Wha- what just..." said Stevonnie, unknowing of how she came to be. She looked over her body frantically, her hands, torso, everywhere. "But we... didn't dance."

Pearl walked up to her, having to look up to Stevonnie to face her. Which is something she never thought she'd have to do with Steven or Connie. She offered an honest smile. "So, Stevonnie. How's being back?" she asked politely.

The question was ignored. "Pearl," Stevonnie said, "How in the heck did I fuse? We didn't do that... _thing._ "

Pearl simply put a hand on Stevonnie's shoulder. "Calm down," she replied. Then, she acknowledged their confusion. "Simply put, gems can fuse through an act of love. Usually, a coordinated, but not predetermined, dance is good enough. But a kiss can work." Pearl waved a hand. "For example, I did with Garnet when we simply didn't have the time, or space for that matter, to fuse the generic way."

Stevonnie remembered, through Steven's memories, the time he thought two of his gem mentors were as good as poofed when they were trapped with no exit. It was when they were hunting Peridot, when she was an enemy. He had wondered how they fused so quickly, but shrugged it off at the time.

"So this..." Stevonnie said, looking at her hands again. She turned them over, as if examining an ancient gem artifact. "Is another way we can fuse?"

She didn't receive an answer. When she looked up again, she saw Pearl starting down the steps. "Watch out," she called back with a smile, "It's slippery."

The fusion took one more moment to take it all in, to take herself in. Then, she simply accepted it, gave a smile, and ran down after Pearl, happy that she was back.

###

The rain turned out to be more of a blessing than a curse. It kept Stevonnie cool during the heat of sparring. And she, unlike her components, wasn't cold.

Pearl had skipped any training she had in mind for Stevonnie had already retained the skills Steven had with his shield and Connie had with her sword. Even more than them, as she had a better reaction and increased agility compared to the two, which was expected for a fusion.

This came into play when she was able to dodge via a backflip, one that Connie could never do with her lack of height. Also, she was able to knock a sword out of Pearl's hand when colliding with her shield. Steven lacked the strength to do so when Pearl taught him the technique. But now, it was feasible.

But the biggest advantage she had was being ambidextrous, what with Connie being left-handed and Steven complementing that with his right-handedness.

Still, Stevonnie was now on the ground. A kick from Pearl to her undefended midsection sent her down and on her back. Rain continued to beat on her already drenched clothing.

And she didn't have much time to recover for Pearl was already in the air and coming down, sword pointed right at Stevonnie's chest.

With a quick reaction, Stevonnie put a newly summoned shield between the blade and herself with her right arm. The collision sounded through the rain, like a gong being struck.

Stevonnie took the moment to her advantage, slanting shield off to her right and bringing a fist forward with her left. Her punch connected to Pearl's face, but only stunned Pearl rather than doing damage.

Yet, it was more than enough to allow Stevonnie to kick Pearl off her with her powerful legs and get back on her feet.

Pearl landed on both her feet, but had to take a moment to regain her unsteady balance. Afterwards, she readied herself again.

The two stood a few feet apart, about two sword lengths away, and stared at the other with narrowed eyes through the transparent curtain of rain. Stevonnie brought the shield to her front and put her left foot behind her, holding it like how Steven normally would.

Pearl shrugged off the blows she had received and held her sword up horizontally with two hands, looking over the sharp edge of it.

Even though she could easily defend with a shield, Stevonnie knew this would be a losing fight if she couldn't get her sword back. She had lost it when she got kicked and, with a glance behind her, found that it had landed on the bottom row of arena seats, about ten feet behind her. There would be no time to retrieve it, not when Pearl was still standing at least.

But she turned back, still determined as ever, and was the first to charge.

Pearl thought that this was futile, for she had no offence, but didn't underestimate the attack.

With all her force, Stevonnie sent a punch with her shield arm, having the edge of it hit Pearl's sword. Despite the strength put into it, never mind the rain that had been making her lose her grip countless times, Pearl managed to keep the sword in hand and tried to boot Stevonnie's stomach once more.

But she was prepared, for as soon as Pearl brought her leg up, Stevonnie grabbed at it with her free hand, catching Pearl's ankle, and kicked back in retaliation.

Her blow landed right on Pearl's chest, causing Pearl to fall off her one foot with an 'oof.'

And Stevonnie's grasp didn't let go, keeping Pearl within striking distance. And Pearl, despite being very strong, couldn't break her leg free. Her form she chose, unlike Garnet's and Amethyst's, gave up power for speed and agility, something wouldn't help her in escaping this situation.

Ready for one final blow, Stevonnie raised her shield high and prepared to slam it straight down on to the gem, not aiming for any specific place on her body.

Never brought down by the pressure of any situation, Pearl kept a cool head, despite not even being able to fall to the ground by having her ankle in Stevonnie's grasp. She even had to touch her chin to her chest just to be able to see her opponent. But she still kept her analytical eyes moving and found opening.

With a quick motion, faster than Stevonnie could even react, Pearl swung her sword around and stopped it just before coming in contact with Stevonnie's throat.

Both stood there, frozen in position. Stevonnie's shield, one motion away from being slammed onto Pearl's chest, was simply beat to the draw with pure speed.

As the needles of rain pricked their skins, both of their shocked expressions were very evident. Their unblinking eyes stared at the other's, trying to comprehend what just had happened in the matter of a few seconds. Then, their confusion turned to understanding and their expressions turned to smiles.

Pearl withdrew her sword.

Stevonnie let go of Pearl, causing her to fall down on her behind. Yet, the fusion put down an outstretched hand, one which Pearl happily accepted.

Suddenly, just after pulling the other up, Stevonnie started giggling. Then, her giggles turned to outbursts of laughs. Pearl smiled back with lack of reason and a lot of confusion.

"What's so funny?" she asked, almost joining in herself.

Stevonnie kept on going for a minute before calming down to respond. "I'm sorry, it's just-" she started, then let out another chuckle. "It's just...I almost won."

Pearl couldn't help but give a small laugh herself. "Yes, you almost did," she said, picking up her sword from the ground and starting towards the stairs where the other one was on the way. Stevonnie followed.

"Oh my _gosh_!" the fusion continued, "Connie! Did you see-" She stopped herself. The two weren't there anymore, just her. She shook it off and continued to follow Pearl.

The pale gem couldn't help but feel her head with her free hand, feeling how soaked it had gotten. It had lost it's shape and hung down to her neck, it was imperfect. But, even being a Pearl, she learned that nothing was going to be. She even decided on not remaking it back home, but rather let it dry and go back to its original form naturally. It was a journey for Pearl to learn to accept things for what they are, but she was still trying.

Her artificial clothing, on the other hand, stayed dry. It's surface was like plastic, rain drops simply hitting it and dripping off.

"You did very well," she said to Stevonnie, who began to unfasten her braid. "But remember one thing."

"What's that?" Stevonnie said, putting on seriousness.

Pearl nudged the women with her elbow. "The only time you'll beat me is in your unrealistic dreams," she jokingly mocked.

Stevonnie gave a witting smirk. "And, one day, in real life, too," she responded, playfully shoving her teacher.

Pearl lost her balance and fell back into a puddle, causing a big splash.

"Woah," Stevonnie exclaimed as an 'oops.' She went over to help Pearl up, but it was unnecessary as she was already back on her feet. "Sorry 'bout that, Pearl."

The gem simply waved it off. "I was already soaked anyways."

Back at the beach house, Pearl retired to her room to put away her swords and do whatever it was Pearl liked doing. Meditating, wondering when and where something bad was going to happen, setting unrealistic goals for herself then easily accomplishing them. Who knows.

Amethyst's gem was gone from the couch when they came back. The three just figured that she regenerated and was doing Amethyst things again. As it would later turn out, she had already warped off to do a solo mission.

"Eh, I was bored and you guys were probably doing your training," she would later say. "So I just decided not to bother you guys."

Stevonnie laid down on the wooden floor next to the front screen door, staring out at the gloomy skies that hinted at rain in the near future. She hadn't defused yet. She had only put on dry clothes, let her hair down, and wrung it out with her hands mindlessly.

It was almost two in the afternoon, about three hours until Connie and Steven would head off the the former's place for the second sleepover.

Stevonnie's eyes were blank, and could see nothing despite being open. She was deep in thought. Conversation actually.

"So how's talking to myself," she said to no one. A sigh escaped her.

Her two halves were talking, sort of. However it works with fusions. Steven had brought up his proposition and said that it was at least worth trying, but Connie simply refused.

'Steven, I know its a possibility but...' Connie stopped.

There was a silence.

Steven tried to redirect his approach. 'Remember that conversation we had last night?' Steven thought.

'How could I not.'

'Well, how 'bout we give this a try? It could work; we could be like this for-'

'I don't _want_ to be like this forever!' Connie interjected. Steven didn't respond.

Connie soon realized she had no reason to be agitated, Steven was just asking. And she didn't want for it. But, if it meant Steven's happiness and that he won't have to bear her death, she'll gladly do it.

Stevonnie took another sigh, then turned her gaze from the ceiling to stare out the door and into the gray, bleakly-colored sand and ocean.

'I'm...sorry. I just-' Connie started.

'No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept pressing on. Let's just unfuse and put this behind us.'

'Wait, not yet.'

Another silence.

'If you're willing to do this, then I am.'

Steven was slightly taken aback at Connie's sudden change of heart. But he was worried that it was just for his happiness and not her's.

'I don't to do this because of me. If you don't want to, truly want to, then we won't.'

'Okay, I've already given the past quarter of my life to be with you and Garnet and Pearl and Amethyst and Greg and to simply be apart of your universe.' Connie took a moment to let that sink in. 'So why should we not just because I don't want to right now? I mean...' She redirected her thoughts with a softer delivery. 'I'm not going to hate it _forever_. I'll just have to get used to it, that's all.'

Steven wasn't convinced. 'That's not good enough. If there's anything wrong with it, it's not happening.' He was stern with what he said, or thought, pretty much the same thing when you have a conversation within the same mind.

After a moment, Steven put out the question 'Why don't you want to be Stevonnie forever?' Despite Connie just saying she does, sort of.

Connie took another moment. 'I just...it's that I...' She couldn't put thoughts together. Why didn't she? Well, it's obvious, right? But how should she tell him? How should she-

Stevonnie suddenly grabbed fists of her hair and pressed her clenched hands against her head. She tossed and turned on the ground. "Arrrrghhh. Headache!" she exclaimed.

Through the pain, she opened her eyes and sat up. Her hands dropped slowly from her head, even with the throbs from her head begging for them to come back. She relaxed as much as she could, brought two shaky fists in front of her, then forcefully released their fingers.

And with that, her body turned bright once again, and split into two.

Steven ended up on the right, closest to the door, sitting, weight propped up on his hands behind his back.

Connie was to the left, on her back, feet and legs spread and eyes closed.

Eventually, she opened them to see Steven staring at her, expressionless eyes and mouth slightly dropped, expecting her to do something. Or, at least, that's what she thought he was expecting.

So Connie decided to answer the question that hung above them.

She gave a long exhale. "Look, Steven,' she said, further grasping his already undivided attention. "I don't want to be Stevonnie any more than we have to. Or only for a short time when it's enjoyable."

Both thought of the amazing rush and fun they just had with their spar with Pearl. How both gave it their all as one and almost came to the victory. The happiness of being so close to overcoming that obstacle and closeness they had with their teamwork. But still, they both remembered how Stevonnie had only herself to celebrate the amazing clash with.

"You know how we are right now?" Connie asked rhetorically, continuing to explain. "We're talking to each other, not just relaying messages like morse code. I can see you, your emotions, how you feel." She sat up so Steven and her were face-to-face. "I can see that glimmer in your eyes that always show me how much you care, that smile that I seek when everything's grey. I can feel the warmth we have when we're close, when we hug...kiss."

Connie smiled warmly, but it wavered a little. "When we fuse, I feel alone; _we_ feel alone. And I know you feel it, too. We don't have each other to talk to. We may be stronger, but I'd rather have someone that I can hold hands with as we warp to random places across the world or play chess with. "

She took Steven's hand into hers, which he grasps back. "I want to live _with_ you, not as someone we both add up to to."

They two teens stared at each other, until Steven's gaze went lower.

He gave a sigh. "Yeah, I understand," he said. "I love it when we're together, just not when we're... _together._ Being Stevonnie's great and all, but...I think we're doing fine as it is." Not raising his eyes, Steven waited for a response from Connie.

When he didn't receive one, he looked up to see if he could find any emotion on Connie's face or body language. Instead, he found her with her lips on his.

He was surprised at first, but soon closed his eyes and focused on feeling Connie's warmth on his face.

The kiss was gentle, and wasn't meant to go on for long, like a hug. But, as always, they made it last as long as they felt needed.

Their lips puckered in a way someone would kiss a cheek, both calm and unhurried.

Eventually, Steven pulled back away, leaving a seemingly too far space between the two. As well as a silence.

Connie's arm nervously wrapped around her to the opposite shoulder. "Maybe one day, when I can say I'm ready. Is that okay?" She offered a small smile.

Steven gaze back a smirk. "I'll be waiting," he replied happily.

As Connie giggled back in response, with Steven joining in, she felt some warmth on her right leg, around the knee area. She looked to see that sun had been beating on it. She looked out to see the traces of cloud that previously controlled the skies, but now have dispersed. Guess no more rain today.

Then, Steven and Connie both heard the sound of something being spun, the distinct sound something makes as it cuts through air. Like a ceiling fan.

Steven looked over Connie's right, who had turned around, to see Pearl lying on the couch, facing the ceiling and mindlessly twirling a spear in her left hand.

"Pearl!" both the kids exclaimed.

The gem almost instantly popped up from the couch, clutching the spear tightly in her hand. "Wha-, yes!?" she asked, ready to do something if something was wrong.

"How long have you been there?!" Steven demanded.

"Ummm, approximately ten minutes. Why?"

"How come you didn't say anything?!" Steven put back.

Pearl took a quick moment to calm herself down. Then she replied, "It looked like you two were doing your own thing when you were fused and I didn't want to disturb you. Besides," Pearl's tone grew agitated, "I told you just before I went into my room that I'd be right out in a minute. Why are you so surprised?" She put her free hand on her hip.

Both Steven and Connie give each other a look, acknowledging and confirming that the both of them, or Stevonnie to be exact, had tuned out Pearl for that moment.

Connie decided to move on and ask the more important question. "How much did you hear?" she asked calmly, but also worriedly.

The gem sitting on the couch simply gave a sigh. "Look, I wasn't meaning to be intrusive and overhear your conversation. I was just thinking, relaxing, here. But, if it matters that much, I, ummmmm..." She grew a little nervous at her response that she was about to give. "I heard everything ever since you two unfused." Pearl let a few moments pass.

Another look between Steven and Connie. Steven then sighed.

"It's okay," Steven said, trying to wave it off. "Problems should be shared with everyone, right?" he sad to Connie.

"Well, if it's personal matters, I promise I won't intervene," Pearl interjected.

"No, no. It's okay," Connie said, agreeing that amongst them, nothing should be personal. "We were just about done talking about it anyways."

Pearl took the risk of pressing on. "Okay, so do you mind me asking why were you two wondering if you could be fused indefinitely? It seems like you're close enough as it is."

Steven showed a small smile. "No," he replied softly, "We just wanted to see if we could be together forever." He turned to Connie. "But even a second's good enough."

Connie smiled back, then looked at Pearl. "It was just to see if we, I, could avoid death. But, maybe there's a better way."

The gem understood what they meant. She herself had obviously never had to deal with the trouble before, seeing as gems aren't affected by age. But she still could know what it was like to be close to someone, knowing that the years, months, days they had with them were ultimately limited.

She didn't say anything for a second, then a minute. Then, she suddenly asked to Connie, "You want to be able to stay with Steven as long fate would permit?"

Not knowing where Pearl was going with this, neither did Steven, Connie simply responded, "Yes, of course. But we can do that by fusing and just staying like that, right?"

Pearl desummoned her spear and walked over to the side of the couch closest to the other two. She sat once again. "Well, if you two want to live with the one you love, and not have to face the lonesomeness of being one," she said, acknowledging the both of them, "Then there is a better way."

 **Okay, sorry for the wait. This thing took forever. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Now, I'm writing this note right after seeing the new episodes of In Too Deep...HOLY F##K!**

 **I literally had to wipe a tear from my eye. It was BEAUTIFUL.**

 **The good bye and last words from the gems, giving Steven their strength. Steven understanding, carrying on with his character, that not all evil wants to destroy. Not all fires yearn to burn. Befriending the enemy is better than the destruction of which.**

 **I STILL didn't get to see the trio's weapon with their whip, spear, and gauntlets combined, but I don't give a sandwich about it.**

 **You know the drill...fits her character PERFECTLY.**

 **It was something I will forever behold, and is an example of why this show will be of my life 'till the end.**

 **The ONLY thing that would've made it better is if Connie was there, but dang do I still not give that sandwich.**

 **To that, I pay this tribute:**

 **Steven Universe  
** **Something I'll forever stand behind  
** **That I'll hold until the end of time  
** **Or until the end of mine  
** **It consumes my dreams  
** **It's what I live for  
** **It found me  
** **And opened a door  
** **To a vast new world  
** **And so much more...  
** **...It is something I tru'ly adore.**

 **(Pause)**

 **It is something I believe in  
A blessing I've been given**

 **(Pause)**

 **Be _lieve_ in the Conn'ver'sals  
Be _lieve_ in the Pearlmethyst fighters  
Be _lieve_ in the Rupphire fusers  
Be _lieve_ in the fanfic writers  
Be _lieve_ in the destined lovers...**

 **Believe**

 **###**

 **I believe in everyone reading this, and every fan out there mentioned and unmentioned. I hope you all can believe in me, to do whatever it is I want to do.**

 **Thanks to everyone, see you next time. Stay yourself.**


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